Shimizu S-Pulse, a professional football club based in Shizuoka City, Japan, unveiled its current visual identity in December 2019 as part of a comprehensive rebranding project. The new emblem, which entered use at the start of the 2020 season, was developed over a two-year process and builds directly on the club’s previous crest rather than introducing an entirely new design.[1]
Design and History
The club’s previous emblem, created in 1997, was used for more than 20 years before the 2019 update.[2] That earlier crest was designed around a globe to reflect the club’s ambitions as a world-class professional team, with the upper section of the badge shaped like Mount Fuji’s cone to symbolize the team’s representation of Shizuoka, home of Mount Fuji.[3]
The rebranding project, guided by the brand principle “OUR ORANGE, OUR SYMBOL,” was led by Takram’s Kinya Tagawa as creative director.[1] The club began considering brand improvements in spring 2018, gathering feedback from fans, partners, players and staff, and publishing progress updates on its official website in October 2018 and January 2019 that drew more than 2,000 comments and suggestions.[2] More than 100 design proposals were generated during the process.[2]
The new crest raised the orange color ratio to more than 50 percent of the overall design, a simplification that addressed issues with the previous emblem’s performance in print and digital platforms, its excessive number of colors and low recognition of the team name.[2] The emblem design was credited to Ken Okamoto and Yamato Iizuka of Ken Okamoto Design Office, working with Tagawa and Daiki Nakamori.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The current emblem retains the shield shape modeled on Mount Fuji, now filled with orange.[4] Three blue vertical stripes represent the club’s philosophy of “Dream, Excitement, Pride.”[5] The central Earth symbol, refined and enlarged in the update, expresses that the club’s achievements reach the wider world.[4]
As part of the rebranding, the club defined a new original orange color, named “S-PULSE ORANGE,” intended to serve as a community symbol.[2] The club describes this orange as meaning “strong” and “smart,” going beyond its origin to represent the connection among all S-Pulse members.[5] A darker blue, referred to as “S-Pulse Deep Blue,” was also introduced alongside the new emblem.[6]
Typography and Design
The club name on the emblem is set in “S-PULSE DRIBBLE,” an exclusive typeface developed for the club. The font uses thick lines to forcefully express the trajectory of players’ dribbles on the field.[5] The typeface design was credited to Ken Okamoto and Yamato Iizuka of Ken Okamoto Design Office.[1] In the current emblem, the club name is displayed large, clear and straight to express sportsmanship, with the words “SHIZUOKA SHIMIZU” added beneath the team name.[6]
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